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This paper presents an analysis of the economic feasibility of a demand-responsive transportation system employing driver-operated vehicles on existing street networks. The system is designed to meet the general public transportation needs of a suburban community. The analysis follows traditional economic theory in developing demand and supply curves for the transportation service as a consumer good, followed by an investigation of the equilibrium between demand and supply under various market conditions. Cost models specifically applicable to a transportation service with demand-responsive attributes are formulated to calculate the system supply functions, and an attitudinal survey is employed to generate estimates of demand in the case study community. The demand and supply equilibrium situations are investigated with respect to funding alternatives and sensitivity to changes in supply and demand variables.

Two Highway Safety Research Institute (HSRI) dummies were tested and evaluated. Based on the analysis given, the HSI dummy should not be used for vehicle qualification testing. However, many of its components offer viable alternatives for future dummy development. The dummy was found to have inadequate biomechanical fidelity in the head, neck, and chest, although its characteristics were very promising and, as a whole, biomechanically superior to the Hybrid II. Its repeatability and reproducibility in dynamic component tests were better than the Hybrid II dummy. In particular, the HSRI friction joints were outstanding in repeatability and had a significant advantage in usability in that they do not require resetting between tests. In three-point harness and ACRS systems tests, the values of injury criteria produced by the HSRI dummy were generally lower than those obtained with the Hybrid II, especially the femur loads in the ACRS tests.